UAE: Residents can catch spectacular celestial display coming up this week

UAE: Residents can catch spectacular celestial display coming up this week

The Perseids Meteor Shower, known for being one of the most impressive annual meteor displays, is taking place in a few days

Published: Mon 7 Aug 2023, 6:00 AM

Get ready to be dazzled by a celestial spectacle this weekend. The Perseids Meteor Shower, known for being one of the most impressive annual meteor displays, is taking place this week and UAE residents have the opportunity to witness them with the naked eye on both Saturday and Sunday.

According to the Dubai Astronomy Group (DAG), the 2023 Perseid meteor shower will peak on the night of August 12 and the morning of August 13. It is expected that the Perseids this year will produce up to 100 meteors per hour at a dark site. This year, it peaks right before a new Moon, meaning the skies will be particularly dark, which is ideal for viewing.

As the Earth passes through the debris left behind by Comet Swift-Tuttle, it creates a mesmerizing display of shooting stars that streak across the heavens. The comet, which last passed close to Earth in 1992, left behind bits of ice and rock. Comet Swift-Tuttle is the largest object known to repeatedly pass by Earth and is next expected to